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Wed, 29 Jul 2015 19:16:55 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.35 Worst Types of Celebrity Wardrobe Malfunctionshttp://www.datingadvice.com/trending/worst-types-wardrobe-malfunctions
http://www.datingadvice.com/trending/worst-types-wardrobe-malfunctions#commentsThu, 25 Jun 2015 09:00:03 +0000http://www.datingadvice.com/?p=81434Nips and butts and privates, oh my. These are a few of the wonderful things that get thrown into the public eye (literally, sometimes) when Hollywood stars’ outfits go wrong. Whether the dress is too tight, the leg slit is a little too high up or even if someone accidentally rips off a part of the […]

The most recent breaking news in the world of baring it all, most of the time not on purpose, is Paris Hilton with her nip-slip, or should I say nip-slips?

The 34-year-old hotel heiress decided to go bra-less under a sheer black dress while out in Milan. She was there to promote her new single “High Off Your Love,” but I think she advocated more for the “Free the Nipple” cause instead.

Reflecting on scandalous fashion mishaps over the course of entertainment history, it seems like we have seen people truly bare it all — on and off the red carpet. But we are just as susceptible as famous people are.

No matter how cute you look or how well put together you think you are, these mishaps can strike at any time. Here are 5 of the worst wardrobe malfunctions to ever exist:

5. The Nip-Slip

In the Hilton spirit, the nip-slip tops off our list. Sure, there is a trend going on as we speak for women to more freely show their nipples as men do, but not at a formal event.

It’s not cute or sexy, and it makes the kind of statement that nobody wants.

The 34-year-old hotel heiress decided to go bra-less under a sheer black dress while out in Milan.

Whether it be a sheer dress that shows a little too much skin or a corset that is two sizes too small for someone’s chest, this mishap is pretty common.

It doesn’t seem to be as taboo anymore, though, considering women like Miley Cyrus freely flaunt their nipples.

4. The Crack-sident

Most of the time, the culprit of seeing a pale pair of cheeks is the low plunging back of a gown. Apparently some stars don’t realize that at some point, their crack is going to pop out.

One of the most recent victims of a crack-sident was Charlotte McKinney at the 2015 Guys’ Choice Awards, where her beautiful silver dress was business in the front but a party in the back.

Charlotte McKinney had a bit of a mishap at the 2015 Guys’ Choice Awards. Her dress was business in the front but party in the back.

Sometimes this can even happen when a dress simply rips. If the back is too tight, or if you move a certain way like Sofia Vergara did at the Emmy Awards, the material will easily split where the sun doesn’t shine.

That is how you end up on slideshows like “Celebrity Butt Cracks,” ladies and gentlemen.

When this fashion malfunction happens, there’s not much you can do but embrace it. Unless your pants are too low and the situation is fixable, you must grin and bare it.

3. The Train Rip (And Wreck)

Depending on where the rip is and how it happens, this wardrobe mishap can go one of two ways.

At the SAG Awards, Jennifer Lawrence sparked some malfunction discussion when it appeared that her dress had ripped.

Julianne Hough had some trouble at the Golden Globes afterparty one year, when her dressed ripped on one side of her leg and she decided to just rip the other side as well.

Sometimes it isn’t even your fault — someone just decides to step on your dress and it rips, like what happened to Chloe Sevigny when she was accepting an award at the Golden Globes.

Whatever the case, this malfunction is relatively innocent and lucky if you ask me. As long as the rip isn’t revealing anything too scandalous, embrace it. Work it like it’s couture.

2. The Slit That Keeps On Slitting

Too often we see stars go way beyond the socially acceptable mark when its comes to dress slits.

The slit seems to keep going and going until we all get to see the goodies, but if we wanted those we would just ask Ciara to sing her song. There’s a fine divide of what looks unique and what is just plain provocative.

Paris Hilton went commando once with a far too revealing slit, and Iggy Azalea was anything but fancy in her black gown with midsection cutouts at EMA Amsterdam.

Iggy Azalea was anything but fancy in her black gown with midsection cutouts at EMA Amsterdam.

In the fashion world when you’re dealing with unique styles, there is always a line between normal and extreme, but that line gets crossed and creates terrible wardrobe malfunctions when a dress slit is even an inch too high.

1. The Crotch Shot

Always remember to put on your panties because you never know when the paparazzi will snap a picture of you exiting the car.

Countless celebrities have had issues keeping their legs closed when wearing dresses or skirts, and one bad angle can give someone the whole view of the land down under — undies or not.

It all started with the queen of this movement, Britney Spears, when she decided to go commando in skirts, dresses and other inappropriate articles of clothing.

Britney Spears is the queen of crotch shots, commando or not, as she always seems to flash the paparazzi while getting out of cars.

Since then, people like Rita Ora, Victoria Beckham and Lindsay Lohan (the princess of this movement, more or less) have also followed suit.

It’s not that they do this in purpose, but they do need to be more careful about how far they spread their legs. Be on the lookout for those picture sneak attacks, ladies.

We didn’t sign up to see any nipples, butts or privates, so please do the public a favor and wear things you know will not create visual problems.

If something is even remotely too tight, too loose or seems like it could fall apart, don’t wear it. These celebrities are the talk of the town, but not for the right reasons.

]]>http://www.datingadvice.com/trending/worst-types-wardrobe-malfunctions/feed0Gender as a Strategy: Exploring the History of Black “Transness”http://www.datingadvice.com/studies/gaaset
http://www.datingadvice.com/studies/gaaset#commentsMon, 15 Jun 2015 08:00:33 +0000http://www.datingadvice.com/?p=80626Discussing the idea of transgender individuals in the African-American community is relatively uncharted territory, but one of BET television’s “Ten Transgender People You Should Know” is going where few have dared for the chance of a lifetime. C. Riley Snorton, an assistant professor of Africana studies and feminist, gender and sexuality studies in Cornell’s College […]

]]>Discussing the idea of transgender individuals in the African-American community is relatively uncharted territory, but one of BET television’s “Ten Transgender People You Should Know” is going where few have dared for the chance of a lifetime.

C. Riley Snorton, an assistant professor of Africana studies and feminist, gender and sexuality studies in Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences, has been awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities-Schomburg Center Scholar-in-Residence fellowship for his research on black “transness” presented in his new book.

“I understood myself to be trans, I think, maybe in my junior year of college,” Snorton said. “That was one of the identifications I held, and when I went to graduate school, people expected that I would work on ‘trans-related topics.'”

Snorton is blazing a trail in transgender studies as one of six black trans academics in the U.S. as he attempts to help pop culture and the media rethink a misunderstood slice of Americana.

The First of Many Accomplishments

Snorton wrote a book on the topic of “transness” when he first identified as a transgender person in 2014 called “Nobody Is Supposed to Know: Black Sexuality on the Down Low.” Not only was this one of his first big feats in this topic, but it also addressed issues of contemporary politics, sexuality and disease transmission.

Centering the majority of this book on the rap opera “Trapped in the Closet,” Snorton thoroughly examines the world of down low, which he said typically refers to black men who do not identify as gay or bisexual but have sex with both men and women.

Centering the majority of this book on the rap opera “Trapped in the Closet,” Snorton thoroughly examines the world of down low men who don’t identify with any specific sexual orientation.

According to Snorton, each down-low character in this rap represents, “a figure who is by all accounts undetectable and also omnipresent and is being described (by the federal Centers for Disease Control) as the cause for increased rates of HIV/AIDS cases among African-American women.”

He was much more interested in what the narrative was revealing about sexuality, factors of race and how the diseases work rather than what the people were actually doing.

The Next Step

This pioneer in transgender research will continue to break ground by writing a second book. Snorton already knows he wants to cover a more historical angle of black “transness” by looking at the years 1850 to 1992.

As a historian of black gender identities, he claims there are two distinct researchable eras of “transness” during this time period. There’s the founding of gynecology, where people are exploring and codifying how genitalia “should look,” and there is the heyday of the Underground Railroad with escaping slaves.

In the 1850s, individuals were gender crossing in order to get from the South to the North through avenues like the Underground Railroad.

Snorton will focus on, “the host of stories we get in the mid-1850s of people who are gender crossing in order to get from the South to the North, in the Underground Railroad or other modes of escape,” he said.

In terms of the 20th century, Snorton plans to elaborate on the relationship between blackness and “transness” and how we think of them in terms of open-ended gender articulation.

The Future

Using the Schomburg Center in New York City to dig up a rich archive of old magazines like Ebony and Jet, Snorton is going to bring to light the many gossipy outings of trans people and explore what the stories of gender transformation tell us about integration during that time period.

Furthermore, he wants to understand the politics of assimilation during the Civil Rights era and how people’s attitudes changed with the rise in technology and individuals like Christine Jorgensen, the first woman to have sex reassignment surgery.

Christine Jorgensen, a former male GI in the U.S. Army during World War II, was the first woman to have sex reassignment surgery.

“What I want to do is give the stories room, so rather than place your finger on ‘What gender was that person?’ I want to say, ‘Look at how gender was a strategy for how that person lived,’” Snorton said.

Through extensive research, literature and exploration, this associate professor might be able to reinvent the definition of gender and make some new discoveries in the field of black “transness.” He might even shed some clarity on the recently discovered “first black woman to be a Civil War soldier.”

]]>http://www.datingadvice.com/studies/gaaset/feed0Wrecking Ball Wardrobe: 7 Of Miley Cyrus’ Raciest Outfitshttp://www.datingadvice.com/trending/miley-cyrus-raciest-outfits
http://www.datingadvice.com/trending/miley-cyrus-raciest-outfits#commentsWed, 10 Jun 2015 08:00:39 +0000http://www.datingadvice.com/?p=80486It seems Miley Cyrus and nudity have almost become synonymous. Nothing surprises us anymore when it comes to the former Disney star because she has worn something from every end of the clothing spectrum. Whether it be a little piece of cloth or a see-through onesie, Cyrus is never afraid to bare it all. Her […]

Nothing surprises us anymore when it comes to the former Disney star because she has worn something from every end of the clothing spectrum. Whether it be a little piece of cloth or a see-through onesie, Cyrus is never afraid to bare it all.

We can’t say we’re shocked that she posed nude with a large animal for the world to see because let’s be honest — it’s nothing we haven’t seen before.

Here are 7 of Cyrus’ raciest outfits that always remind us she is not the innocent, G-rated Disney star she once was:

1. MTV Video Music Awards 2013

This was a defining moment for all of us because we think this was when we realized she’d completely lost sight of the old Miley Cyrus. Prior to grinding on stage with Robin Thicke (a married man, let’s not forget), she sported a strange silver leotard that had the face of a high teddy bear on the front.

She stripped into a nude-colored, latex two-piece that really stirred the pot at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.

What was under the leotard is even worse. She stripped into a nude-colored, latex two-piece that really stirred the pot because it really didn’t cover much at all. She proceeded to grind on a foam finger and twerk on giant teddy bears onstage. Cute, right?

2. iHeart Radio Music Festival 2013

After hitting the stage in a scandalous corset outfit, Cyrus got even more racy and decided to change into a see-through mesh mini-dress. Let’s just say that fur and mesh is not the best combination in the world.

Cyrus really endorses the “free the nipple” mantra in this get-up from the iHeart Music Festival in 2013.

Underneath the dress, all that’s saving us from a nude show are her nipple pasties and barely-there bottoms. She might as well have left the “dress” back at home because it makes no difference.

3. Wrecking Ball

There are a lot of things you can do in the nude, but something that only Miley Cyrus would do is swing on a wrecking ball with boots on. Her music video for her song “Wrecking Ball” even shocked fans who were used to Cyrus’ nonsense.

Her music video for her song “Wrecking Ball” even shocked fans who were used to her nonsense.

Since she already posed nude with this large piece of metal, it’s only appropriate she poses nude with a pig. Who knows what she will do next, but what we do know is she won’t be clothed in the slightest.

4. Bangerz Tour 2014

In Miami for her Bangerz Tour, Cyrus showed her love for “herbal supplements” in this revealing marijuana onesie.

The high-cut crotch area of the outfit, combined with the marijuana leaves and her gold chain, all make this get-up a very scandalous one. Don’t even get me started on the backside of this piece. It’s more than cheeky.

5. amfAR Gala 2014

Front boob, side boob, under boob … Cyrus sports it all in this revealing Tom Ford dress she wore to the amfAR Gala in 2014. This 50 Shades of Grey-esque look is far from your typical evening gown.

Cyrus sports all kinds of boob trends in this revealing Tom Ford dress she wore to the amfAR Gala in 2014.

It’s very ballsy to wear something so risque to such a high-end event, but at least she covered her bottom half. Barely covering her chest with a top entirely made of sequined straps, we think everyone was anticipating a nip-slip.

6. Adult Swim Upfront Party 2015

She sang in a transparent butterfly outfit of sheer tights and pasties at the Adult Swim Upfront Party 2015 and invited the crowd to smoke with her.

The “Wrecking Ball” singer allegedly lit up a joint and invited the media-heavy crowd to smoke with her while she sang in a transparent butterfly outfit of sheer tights and pasties. Maybe Cyrus should lay off the herbs.

7. Joan Jett’s Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction

Donning a leather dress with cutouts and pink heart-shaped pasties over her nipples, Miley Cyrus stole the show when it wasn’t even hers to have. This may have just been a backstage outfit, but it was still too risque for such an event.

Donning a leather dress with cutouts and pink heart-shaped pasties over her nipples, MIley Cyrus inducted Joan Jett into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

While inducting Joan Jett into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cyrus wore a body-covering black ensemble, but that doesn’t change how revealing her other outfit was. Oh Miley, when will you ever learn.

We’ve had the opportunity to watch Cyrus evolve over the years from a sweet, innocent Disney star into a very vulgar and scandalous young adult, but she claims this is who she wants to be. She’s confident and transformed, and that’s definitely evident in her choice of wardrobe. Keep on wreckin’, Miley.

]]>http://www.datingadvice.com/trending/miley-cyrus-raciest-outfits/feed05 Ways to Make a Good First Impressionhttp://www.datingadvice.com/for-women/ways-make-good-first-impression
http://www.datingadvice.com/for-women/ways-make-good-first-impression#commentsTue, 26 May 2015 08:00:59 +0000http://www.datingadvice.com/?p=76874Recent research shows first impressions are more important than actual facts. That means whatever someone thinks of you at first could actually supersede things they learn about you at a later date. “We judge books by their covers, and we can’t help but do it,” said Social Psychologist Dr. Nicholas Rule, of the University of […]

]]>Recent research shows first impressions are more important than actual facts. That means whatever someone thinks of you at first could actually supersede things they learn about you at a later date.

“We judge books by their covers, and we can’t help but do it,” said Social Psychologist Dr. Nicholas Rule, of the University of Toronto. “First impressions continue to assert themselves long after you know relevant information about a person.”

The important thing to note here is when you meet someone, that first bit of information is very powerful and could be the deciding factor in their opinion of you. Going back to Rule’s book cover comparison. How many times have you picked up a book and made the decision to read it or not based on those brief seconds of analysis?

When you realize first impressions in dating have a similar power to influence a potential partner, you will be able to make better ones. If your goal is to meet a quality partner to spend your life with, then every good first impression increases your chances of finding one.

Below is a list of five things that will help you make a good first impression in dating.

Think about it. Three seconds! What can a person really know about you in three seconds?

In reality, it doesn’t matter because they are the ones making the decision. You are just making the impression, and if you are one of the unfortunate ones who made a bad one, you have just lost a dating opportunity.

Outside of the speed-dating world, studies find it takes about one hour for a woman to decide whether or not she wants to date a man again. A man decides in 15 minutes.

So what does this time crunch data tell us? It tells us when it comes to attracting a partner, you want to look your best and present yourself in the best way as quickly as you can. Because once those first few moments have come and gone, it could be too late.

2. Be on Time

I know there are plenty of you out there who may have a trouble with this one. I mean “fashionably late” is a real term after all. Some might even argue when you show up early or on time, you are coming across as too eager.

The fact of the matter is when you are late to a date (or any meeting for that matter), you are basically saying “My time is more valuable than your time.”

Since first impressions are so important and hard to change, when you start off by making a potential mate wait for you, in my opinion, you automatically are starting off with a negative.

Think about it. If you are late and the person spends the first part of the date thinking about that fact, he is not spending the time thinking about how great you look or how much fun he is having. Why take the chance?

3. Happiness is Contagious

One of the biggest turn-offs during a date is negativity. Studies show happiness is contagious, and potential dates find it hard to walk away from happy people. It’s important to keep the conversation positive.

Studies show happiness is contagious, and potential dates find it hard to walk away from happy people.

I recommend in those early moments to try engaging in only happy conversations. Discuss topics that make you and your potential partner smile or laugh. Maybe it’s a story about an exciting vacation or personal accomplishment? Or maybe it’s questions you ask them that bring out similar tales of joy?

Whatever it is, you want to be authentic and engage the person with positive language in body, mind and soul. When it comes to attracting people in those first few moments, the fact is a smile really does go a long way.

4. Look Your Best

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but when it comes to first impressions in this instant gratification 21st century dating world, it might be worth more like a million.

Not only do you want to dress to impress, but you also want to match your clothes for the setting. If you are going to a beach location, that is different attire than a fine Italian restaurant. Every detail of your appearance matters here and should fit the time, place and occasion.

In my Conscious Dating Program, I teach about a dating principle called “Like attracts Like,” which basically means what you put out to the world is what you draw in. When it comes to making a good first impression for a potential partner, wear something that fully represents you and what you are looking for.

5. Ask Questions

The best advice I ever received when it comes to dating was if you want someone to like you, just ask them questions about themselves. Why? Because people like to talk about themselves, and when it comes to making a good first impression, a couple of simple questions upfront will do the trick.

Think about it. Have you ever been in a social situation and someone just went on and on talking about themselves? What did you think about that? If you are like me, you probably found it off-putting.

When it comes to making a good first impression, a couple of simple questions upfront will do the trick.

Get in front of the problem — don’t become it. Once your few initial questions are asked, and a good first impression is made, then the connection can run its natural course as either positive or negative.

The goal for you should always be a simple one: never lose out on a chance to make a good first impression.

]]>http://www.datingadvice.com/for-women/ways-make-good-first-impression/feed0Dr. Gail Dines’ “Growing Up in a Pornified Culture”http://www.datingadvice.com/for-women/dr-gail-dines-growing-up-in-a-pornified-culture
http://www.datingadvice.com/for-women/dr-gail-dines-growing-up-in-a-pornified-culture#commentsWed, 06 May 2015 08:01:57 +0000http://www.datingadvice.com/?p=78460Teens are bombarded with images and articles that cause them to hypersexualize themselves, making them ready for a pornography shoot even if they never set foot on one, according to Dr. Gail Dines. “This culture is socializing our young girls to be ready for pornography, whether they ever end up on a porn site or […]

]]>Teens are bombarded with images and articles that cause them to hypersexualize themselves, making them ready for a pornography shoot even if they never set foot on one, according to Dr. Gail Dines.

“This culture is socializing our young girls to be ready for pornography, whether they ever end up on a porn site or not,” said Dines, a professor of sociology and women’s studies at Wheelock College in Boston.

Standards for women

The usual standard for a female is a white, blonde woman, who has no “jiggles” aside from her breasts. Women of color get in occasionally, provided they have an incredible body aesthetic.

As girls grow up in this culture, two primary choices are presented to them: “f**kability versus invisibility.” It’s unrealistic to expect anything but the former when teens crave attention and being wanted — even more so when her friends have already made that choice themselves.

“It is impossible to ask her to go for invisibility,” Dines said.

It essentially forces a young girl to sexualize herself in a way she doesn’t plan or think of on her own.

Dines talked with an inmate who was incarcerated for raping his 12-year-old stepdaughter. She explained how he used the culture to groom his target, emphasizing that qualities like hotness and sexiness are her most important traits. By the time he actually went for his stepdaughter, she had bonded with him over those traits.

The porn scene has hypersexualized as well

“Playboy,” “Penthouse” and Hustler” are the “good ol’ days” of pornography, according to Dines. The Internet changed the industry. It made porn affordable, accessible and anonymous.

Dines put “porn” into Google, simulating a 12-year-old boy’s first experience with the industry, and one of the first results was a site that featured a psychopathic act against the woman in the video.

The boy, probably not expecting such a graphic scene, reads the video description, which tells him this is how “real men” act, how “real men” treat their sexual partners. Because he’s alone when he finds this video, he doesn’t have someone telling him real sex isn’t like that, that the disgust he might feel is justified. He merely accepts it.

“In that boy’s stomach is a toxic stew, because he’s aroused, but he’s also ashamed, and he’s also scared, and he’s also angry,” she said. “And he feels enormous shame that he is aroused. And nobody has said to him ‘This is not who you are,’ because the pornographers say to him ‘This is who you are. This is what you want.’”

The pron industry tells a young boy this, but Dines said she knows it’s not true. She knows it’s not true because she’s a feminist. She said feminists are men’s best friends. They value men more than the porn industry does. She also knows this as a mother.

“If my son is better than this, then I believe your son is, too,” she said.

She then described the next result, another terribly violent act. She then makes clear that she isn’t finding the worst of the worst. These results are what anyone sees in 15 seconds. The standard porn scene features one woman and three men, and those men abuse her both physically and verbally.

“This is the sex education today across the world,” she said, referring to the fact that the Internet is how teens now learn what is normal.

Dines referenced 40 years of research, saying the younger a boy is when he’s exposed to porn, the more it hurts him. He can’t be as intimate with a partner, he feels less empathy for rape victims, he’s more prone to depression and anxiety and he’s more likely to take risks with his sexual behaviors.

In 2002, the porn industry lobbied against the restriction on women who appeared underage. The result, almost overnight, was a litany of sites that advertised the fact the women were even younger, using words like “daddy” or “It’s OK. She’s my stepdaughter.”

The solution to fighting this, Dines said, is to take a public health approach, similar to campaigns against drinking and driving. By getting everyone invested in the next generation’s well-being and bringing them together, the porn industry’s misinformation can be fought.

To accomplish this, Dines founded Culture Reframed

Culture Reframed will launch in autumn and will educate teens and preteens about porn. It will create programs for parents, programs for professionals and programs for students.

Educators, mental professionals, community leaders, parent groups, lawyers, youth workers, therapists and activists will all be involved in the process.

“We are going to tie this porn monster down, piece by piece,” she said. “And you know why? Because our children are worth more, our culture is worth more, our boys are worth more and our girls are worth more.”

]]>http://www.datingadvice.com/for-women/dr-gail-dines-growing-up-in-a-pornified-culture/feed011 Best Makeover Experts to Improve Your Date Lookhttp://www.datingadvice.com/for-men/11-best-makeover-experts-to-improve-your-date-look
http://www.datingadvice.com/for-men/11-best-makeover-experts-to-improve-your-date-look#commentsWed, 01 Apr 2015 08:00:14 +0000http://www.datingadvice.com/?p=76070Finally scored that hot date this weekend? Don’t let him or her see you all scuffed up and messy just yet. Let’s save those sweatpants for a few dates in. Whether you need outfit advice or a full-fledged makeover, we rounded up the top 11 makeover experts to prep you for your big date. Take […]

]]>Finally scored that hot date this weekend? Don’t let him or her see you all scuffed up and messy just yet. Let’s save those sweatpants for a few dates in.

Whether you need outfit advice or a full-fledged makeover, we rounded up the top 11 makeover experts to prep you for your big date. Take a look.

The Style Girlfriend

BEST

OF

The Style Girlfriend does not mess around when it comes to looking put together. She gives men’s fashion advice from a woman’s perspective — and we’ll bet it’s a bit more stylish than your mom’s sweet but dated advice. Come here for outfit inspiration for work or play and grooming advice to nail that first date impression.

Trunk Club

BEST

OF

Trunk Club is a no-brain-needed service for guys who don’t like shopping or don’t quite know what suits them best. Here you can get a stylist to do the dirty work for you. All you have to do is answer a few questions about your style, personality and sizing. A stylist shops for you, creates a clothing trunk and sends it straight to your door. Just choose the clothes you want to keep and send the rest back within 10 days.

Rent The Runway

BEST

OF

Rent The Runway is perfect for women who are headed on a date they need to get gussied up for. If you’re a wedding plus-one or going to a fancy gala, you don’t have to spend a lot of dollars to look like a million. RTR lends you a dress, jewelry or handbag for a fraction of the retail price. You can rent it for four or eight days, and they send you a backup size just in case. Wear it to your event and send it back without breaking the bank.

Alpha M

BEST

OF

Aaron Marino is the ultimate male makeover master. Although he is based in Atlanta, his videos, book and virtual consulting can fix your fashion troubles wherever you are. Virtual services range from quick questions to virtual makeovers to picking out the perfect outfit, making it the perfect go-to for either long-term help or immediate fashion advice.

LaurieBstyle

BEST

OF

LaurieBstyle focuses on style for success, whether that’s in the working world or in your dating life. The L.A.-based stylist is not just about style but about learning what fits your body, personality and lifestyle. She travels the country for wardrobe evaluations and consultations to help you cleanse your closet and revamp your style.

Total Image Consultants

BEST

OF

Total Image Consultants is all about revamping your wardrobe in a way that fits your personality and boosts your confidence — perfect to calm those pre-date jitters. It offers services such as figuring out your best color pallet and fashion fit formula, which measures the lengths you need for skirts, jackets and necklines. For a quick consultation, just fill out an online form and hop on the phone for some style support.

Style Auteur

BEST

OF

Head to the Style Auteur if you’re looking for help with fashion trends or how to keep up a modern wardrobe. Lauren A. Rothman, the brains behind the site, is a good resource if you’re looking to revamp and maintain a more stylish wardrobe. Consider that second date secured.

Kimara Ahnert

BEST

OF

If you’re looking for a beauty transformation, Kimara Ahnert is your girl. This New York City-based makeup artist individualizes each of her sessions so you know the beauty advice is tailored to your style and color palette. It might be a little pricey for a casual first date, so stick to her salon for fancier nights on the town.

Painfully Hip

BEST

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If you’re looking for some style inspiration, Painfully Hip has a collection of fashion-forward photos to solve your style woes. The site is organized by seasoned stylist Amber Mortensen, who helps her clients stay stylish on a budget. This is a great site to scour for last-minute outfit ideas or for quick tips on fashion malfunctions.

Style by Naz

BEST

OF

Naz Meknat is an L.A-based stylist who has transformed even the most tragic wardrobes. She works with men and women at a variety of ages. She offers a variety of services based on what you’re looking for, from closet audits and personal shopping, to wardrobe planning and virtual styling for those outside L.A. Stacy London from TLC’s “What Not To Wear”trained and certified Naz, so you know she means business.

Polished Image Consultants

BEST

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Polished Social Image Consultants can revamp whatever is feeling sluggish, like your hair or your level of etiquette. There is also a specialized section for wedding consulting. From dance lessons to beauty assistance, this service keeps you polished for your big day.

]]>http://www.datingadvice.com/for-men/11-best-makeover-experts-to-improve-your-date-look/feed0Can You Learn to Be Attracted to Someone?http://www.datingadvice.com/for-men/can-you-learn-to-be-attracted-to-someone
http://www.datingadvice.com/for-men/can-you-learn-to-be-attracted-to-someone#commentsTue, 31 Mar 2015 08:00:23 +0000http://www.datingadvice.com/?p=75686We all have our “type”. Most of us can walk into a room filled with nice, well-dressed, educated, professional, open-minded people and almost immediately, after scanning the perimeter, see the ones we’re closely drawn to. Perhaps it’s the chatty blonde in the corner holding a martini, the olive-skinned brunette with great curves, the short Jewish […]

]]>We all have our “type”. Most of us can walk into a room filled with nice, well-dressed, educated, professional, open-minded people and almost immediately, after scanning the perimeter, see the ones we’re closely drawn to.

Perhaps it’s the chatty blonde in the corner holding a martini, the olive-skinned brunette with great curves, the short Jewish princess dominating the room with her witty intellect and pearly grin, or the one who, according to your libido meter, is average-looking but subtly throws you a stare and smiles.

Maybe you dismiss her because she doesn’t give you that instant spark you crave, but if you’d only dig a bit deeper, you just might find the woman of your dreams.

That said, it’s doubtful that you’ll ever be attracted to someone you don’t find physically appealing at all, but if there’s a spark, just a glimmer, and she holds other qualities you love, your attraction can develop over time.

Being attracted to someone is a fickle beast

Most of us either feel that adrenaline rush instantly or we don’t. If not, we usually seek it elsewhere without giving a real prize a second look, throwing away our chance at love just because we carelessly don’t give it more effort.

What am I talking about? Let’s dive a bit deeper.

There are just certain people we’ll never be attracted to no matter how hard we try.

Again, I think everyone reading this can testify that there are just certain people we’ll never be attracted to no matter how hard we try. Perhaps it’s something about their physical or facial structure, body language, facial expressions, the curve of their lips, the pitch of their voice or the loudness and arrogance of their personality.

Whenever we encounter someone for the first time, our psyche and heart begin a very complex scan. Usually within a split second, we know if an attraction is there.

We can’t turn off this intricate machine. It’s just something God-given inside us all.

But what about those meeting our emotional needs more than our physical ones?

Can we actually learn to be attracted to them?

I’m a constant student of psychology, and I read an interesting article lately. It said one of the biggest mistakes people make when dating is to only going after those at the top of their “attraction spectrum,” which is a sliding scale of one to 10.

When they first approach a “10″, they jump in head first because their knees are weakened, their heart is jump-started and their inner longing is triggered.

They’re also the ones most likely making them insecure, uncomfortable and awkward, therefore explaining why they get nervous and tongue-tied while approaching them. People seek them out because they think that’s where the passion and real love lies.

But more times than not, relationships with them don’t last because they’re so excited by their physical appeal that they’re blind to the negative layers beneath the surface.

Then walks in a mid-level candidate, a four to six. Now this person, at first, doesn’t really rev them up physically, but after time and given the chance, those small sparks of attraction can grow once they appreciate their other traits that meet their needs.

Here’s a major point to be made

Strong attraction is at its healthiest when it’s nurtured and grown from a level playing field.

Perhaps when a woman met you, she wasn’t exactly salivating with desire either. She put you off before committing to a date, but since both of you were willing to give it a shot, to develop an emotional connection and allow other qualities to be seen and appreciated, the physical intimacy grew steadily, leading to pure love.

Learning to be attracted to someone, when you think about it, is really based on a small percentage of what we see rather than what we actually need

Attraction is at its healthiest when it’s grown from a level playing field.

and like in another person.

It’s so much more than how they wear their hair, appear poolside or look in a black dress with pearls. It’s all about how they make us feel when we’re around them.

Do they appreciate, respect and support us? Are they really there when we need them? Do they have many of the same interests and goals that we do? Are they tolerant of our quirks and bad habits? And are they willing to work through the many challenges likely faced over time?

If the answer is yes, watch your attraction, and desire, surge to new levels.

]]>http://www.datingadvice.com/for-men/can-you-learn-to-be-attracted-to-someone/feed05 Most Embarrassing Types of Profile Picshttp://www.datingadvice.com/online-dating/5-most-embarrassing-types-of-profile-pics
http://www.datingadvice.com/online-dating/5-most-embarrassing-types-of-profile-pics#commentsMon, 23 Mar 2015 08:00:02 +0000http://www.datingadvice.com/?p=75264They say a picture tells a thousand words, and when it comes to online dating, nothing is more important than that first digital impression you make with your photos. Often to be different, singles try to get creative to grab the attention of a potential digital crush, and sometimes it just backfires. Here are some of […]

]]>http://www.datingadvice.com/online-dating/5-most-embarrassing-types-of-profile-pics/feed0Jade Beall: Therapeutic Photography for Empowerment and Lovehttp://www.datingadvice.com/for-women/jade-beall-therapeutic-photography-for-empowerment-and-love
http://www.datingadvice.com/for-women/jade-beall-therapeutic-photography-for-empowerment-and-love#commentsTue, 17 Mar 2015 08:00:30 +0000http://www.datingadvice.com/?p=74945The 411: Through her photography, Jade Beall takes what women consider to be flaws and turns them into beautiful pieces of art that inspire us all to love ourselves just the way we are. If you’ve ever hated your body or avoided a mirror just so you wouldn’t have to look at yourself, you’re not alone. Most […]

]]>The 411: Through her photography, Jade Beall takes what women consider to be flaws and turns them into beautiful pieces of art that inspire us all to love ourselves just the way we are.

If you’ve ever hated your body or avoided a mirror just so you wouldn’t have to look at yourself, you’re not alone. Most women suffer from body images issues, myself included, but most women haven’t met Jade Beall yet.

Jade Beall empowers women to love their bodies.

What she calls “therapeutic photography,” Beall takes away all the makeup, the over-styled hair, the Spanx, the jeans that are supposed to make your butt look smaller and gets down to who these women really are — “flaws” and all.

“I want women to feel seen and heard and to know that you do not need to Photoshop an image to be called beautiful. I think it’s a process of learning to really see ourselves,” she said. “We are fed imagery that’s been very severely altered. Most of the supermodels don’t even look like themselves if you were to actually see them walking down the street.”

And that’s exactly what Beall, who was inspired by her own lack of self-esteem, is doing with her breathtaking photos — helping women of all shapes and sizes see that they are beautiful on the inside and out.

The beautiful women and their beautiful stories

From children and teens, to new mothers and seniors, Beall photographs women at all stages of their lives. Her work is simple yet impactful, using a plain white backdrop to highlight the courage and vulnerability of these women who often feel the need to hide their acne, cellulite, wrinkles and other “faults.”

Beall gets to know each and every one of her clients, swapping life’s ups and downs and getting to the root of what they want to get out of the session, and that’s where the therapy comes in.

“My mission is to un-train that way of thinking and truly see a person for the who they are,” she said. “What we’ve been taught are flaws are actually pretty remarkable beauty markings that tell the story of our lives.”

Beall uses a plain white backdrop to highlight the courage and vulnerability of these women.

Through these “masterpieces,” as Beall says, she is redefining how women see themselves, as well as how society sees women in general. A woman will enter Beall’s studio scared to death to take her clothes off, but she’ll come out with a newfound fearlessness that was there all along — it just needed a little coaxing.

Even Internet trolls can’t bring these women down from “Cloud 9.” According to Beall, her clients receive nothing but encouragement.

“Being seen on social media, ironically enough, instills tremendous confidence in women,” she said.

Little nuggets of hope

The feedback Beall and her clients receive is priceless. Every “You changed my life” is another giant step forward for women everywhere.

“Those little gold nuggets totally propel me, and it’s not just me. It’s these women who are willing to share themselves, to share their story, to share their supposed ‘flaws’ that are actually exquisite,” she said. “It’s like a big sisterhood movement.”

“It’s like a big sisterhood movement,” Jade Beall said.

Beall’s photos are giving women a voice and taking power away from big magazines that only feature “perfect” models on their covers and in their ads, hinting that this is what all women are supposed to look like.

“Of course, there’s still media and advertising and even family portrait photographers who use Photoshop, and they’ve been trained that you need to alter someone to be beautiful, but I think that mindset is changing,” she said.

As for what’s on the horizon, Beall will continue empowering as many women she can in as many countries as she can, and she also hopes to expand her work to include men.

“I just want to travel and meet women and photograph women all over the world and just make a big ol’ collage of all of our gorgeous-ness together,” she said.

To see more of Jade Beall’s powerful work or to book a session with her, visit www.jadebeall.com.

]]>http://www.datingadvice.com/for-women/jade-beall-therapeutic-photography-for-empowerment-and-love/feed0Dr. Colleen Denney: How Representations of Women Haven’t Changed in 150 Yearshttp://www.datingadvice.com/studies/dcdhro
http://www.datingadvice.com/studies/dcdhro#commentsWed, 11 Mar 2015 09:00:01 +0000http://www.datingadvice.com/?p=74552The 411: As a true anglophile, Dr. Colleen Denney uses her love of all things British to examine how women used, and still do to this day, art and culture to present who they are to the world. Dr. Colleen Denney may be going on her 26th year at the University of Wyoming, but she’s always had […]

]]>The 411: As a true anglophile, Dr. Colleen Denney uses her love of all things British to examine how women used, and still do to this day, art and culture to present who they are to the world.

Dr. Colleen Denney may be going on her 26th year at the University of Wyoming, but she’s always had a passion for British culture, particularly how artistic women in the Victorian period received their training, how they showed their work (if their work was shown at all) and the issues they faced.

That passion grew even more while Denney worked on her dissertation about Lady Caroline Blanche Elizabeth Lindsay, a Jewish artist who was married to Sir Coutts Lindsay, a mixed marriage at the time, and with whom she co-directed the Grosvenor Gallery.

“I was totally fascinated by her story and what a strong woman she was,” she said. “That sort of launched me into all of this, and at that time, no one was teaching things like the history of women’s art classes, which I teach now. Women’s studies programs were in their infancy.”

While writing this book, Denney saw a portrait of Lady Dilke, who was dressed to perfection in a corseted evening gown and affectionately looking at the viewer, but she knew there was more to her than what she saw.

Denney’s book examines famous, scandalous Victorian women and the costs that fame had on them.

“I knew she had been in love with this man who was destined to be the next prime minister, and they were secretly engaged. He was named as a co-respondent in a divorce case, and his career was essentially over,” she said. “She spent 10 years trying to resurrect his political career, and she was tainted by association.”

Denney included a chapter about Lady Dilke’s scandal in her book about Diana, comparing how she was treated then to how Hillary Rodham Clinton was treated during the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

In turn, this chapter inspired Denney to dedicate an entire book to the stories and portraits of Lady Dilke and Victorian women just like her, including Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Millicent Garrett Fawcett and Sarah Grand.

“I used those portraits because those are really the most public pieces we have about these women, and I examined them in relationship to the scandals these women went through. Were these portraits really kind of damage control for them?” she said. “In all of these cases, I talk about that as being one of the main pieces in terms of how we interpret those portraits, so the crisis is the crisis that they’ve gone through.”

Denney added that the big takeaway from this book, as well as her work overall, is that we can relate to these women and men more than we think we can.

“Traditionally we talk about the Victorian period as being very black and white, as men and women living in very separate spheres, so women in the domestic sphere and men in the public sphere, and we know that’s not a stable way to talk about the time period,” she said. “Things are much more messy than we would like them to be or than we originally understood them to be. These people’s lives were just as rich and just as complicated as ours are today.”

Connecting the past and the future

From speaking about women and body image at student events to writing two books, one about “the visual culture of women’s activism in England and France and the other about a 19th century woman pharmacist and her 21st century counterpart,” Denney is staying busy.

“I’m wanting more and more to be able to connect my research on activist history to real activism in the world so I can give my students opportunities to do community work … to get them engaged in their own history so that they can see what’s really going on in the world right now is their history — that they’re making history,” she said.

Denney is an art historian who teaches courses on the feminist visual culture of modern and contemporary art, Victorian women’s art, literature and culture and the history of women artists.

But what always remains at the forefront is showing people how women are represented, what it was like in the past, what it’s like now, how it hasn’t changed much and how we can combat that.

“It continues to be a big part of our dialogue about women in our culture and how they’re judged and how we need to change that,” she said. “Even though my work is in the Victorian period, I always try to connect it to the dialogues that are going on today. We need to be really aware of traditional concepts and expectations of our bodies and how we position them in our cultures and how we can change that conversation.”